By: Regina Heffington – The Jax Brew Bitch July is another transition-month for many craft beer lovers. Each palate is different – and each palate will seek its own transition routine, given enough experience. Yeah, that means drinking enough beer to let your palate evolve in an unrestricted manner. Usually, you’ll find even the most ardent stout drinker will gravitate to lighter styles in the hot summer months. Some have tip-toed through spring saisons to chill by the pool or beach with a cold Hefeweisen, Belgian Wit, lager or pilsner – saving their heavier stouts, porters and strong ales for …

WHAT’S BREWING knows his stuff. He should – he is Global Vice-Chairman of Hill & Knowlton Strategies, an international communications consultancy, and the President of Maverick Media. According to his online bio, for three decades, Mr. McKinnon has been solving complex strategic challenges for causes, companies and candidates of all persuasions, including , , and . His statement, “Marketers know – no matter how deep the emotional connection or brand loyalty – when a product does not perform, rational thought overtakes emotion, and most consumers make a new choice,” is certainly on target as applied to the contemporary savage battle …

“April showers bring …”   Nope. That’s not what I think of when I think of this month. April is a celebratory month – especially for those of us who love to live – and explore – in Florida. In 1513, landed near what is now St. Augustine and gave the name to his newly discovered landmass “La Florida”. A little over 250 years later, completed his journey into Florida in 1766 and it was his diary-cum-travel journal which motivated merchants “across the pond” to purchase tracts of land along the eastern coast of Florida in the late 1700s. Two centuries …

You felt it. I know you did. The excitement your inner child experienced as you opened Christmas presents last month. Age doesn’t matter, does it?  It must be the combination of realizing someone cares enough about you to spend the time and money in selecting a special gift just for you and the mystery of what lies within the confines of the package. It could also be the anticipation of the enjoyment of your festively wrapped-up boon in the months to come. Craft beer gives you the opportunity of experiencing this type of excitement every time you step into one …

Some things last a long time. Some things combined with other things become eternal. Christmas and  – now, there’s a pair that will always be together. Multiple generations have and will appreciate the Christmas season more, due to the talent of that one man. He once said, “Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it ‘white’.” Craft beer makes it easy for you to share your blessings with those who appreciate uniquely created microbrews. Some establishments in the Greater Jacksonville area have great gift ideas for beer drinkers. Also, there …

A personal beer mug that displays, in holographic form, the temperature of the beer within its confines, the beer’s alcohol content by volume (ABV), its International Bitterness Units (IBUs), your heart rate, blood pressure, family birthdays and bank account balance–along with the price you are paying for your selected brew. Sounds like Google Glass, huh? Where can you purchase such a beer mug? Wrong question. You should be asking when you will be able to purchase it. It doesn’t exist–at least not at the time this article is published. But I am sure somewhere, somebody is working on developing such …

You’d think they’d call it “Septemberfest.” The 2 ½ week festival held in  gets beer lovers thoughtfully reflecting upon how and where they will celebrate their own Oktoberfest (officially being held there beginning Saturday, September 20 and running through the first Sunday in October (Oct 5). Visions of lederhosen and dirdl dresses, strudel  and sauerkraut, decorative Bavarian beer steins and frothy Maßkrüge fill their imaginations anticipating this exciting beer-focused festival . You’ll find that some local establishments choose to celebrate in … well … October. Regardless, the month of September brings with it the advent of exciting fall beers! Be …

“Low hanging fruit” – that’s what I thought of when I learned this month’s EU edition would be centered on favorite summer foods. Easy pickins’ for me, it’s food paired or made with beer! I popped open the laptop, and then I realized the task was far more complicated than I originally thought. What food, what beer, would be best to enjoy during the hot summer weather? I turned my thoughts to what most folks like to do during the summer: vacations, barbecues, beaches, swimming, and relaxing. Here are a few suggestions for you to try: Keep it Sweetly Simple …

Call your significant other NOW! May is National Date Your Mate Month. Deciding exactly where to go may be a little daunting. The Greater Jacksonville area has a lot going on and plenty of places to take your mate during this month. May 13 Brewer’s Pizza (Orange Park) Barrel-aged beers and Kentucky Bourbon Stout Release – 5 pm to close May 14 Engine 15 Brewing Company (Jax Beach) He’brew, the Chosen Beer Pint Night – 4 to 7pm May 16 Zeta (Jax Beach) Pint Night – 6 to 9 pm May 26 Engine 15 Brewing Company (Jax Beach) New Brewery …

Feel that? It’s the feeling of spring. Forget the fact we had some bone-chilling weather in late March–it’s time to look forward to springtime beers! This is an exciting season for craft beer lovers. It’s much like legendary Hall of Fame baseball player, Rogers Hornsby, said, “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring”. Saisons, sours and lambics are traditionally featured during the spring and are the source for a lot of excitement. The anticipation of warmer months and these styles …